Highway 89

In 2005, a group of singers was en route to a festival in Italy. They had the repertoire, they were rehearsed – all ready to wow their waiting audience. All they needed now was a name. Paul Smith, one of those singers, said, "We needed a name to go on stage and there were eight of us and we were in Italy. We wanted something that feels like voices but had that Latin vibe to it, so we went with voces."

Thus was born VOCES8, a group that Gramophone calls “impeccable in its tone and balance.” The group brings to audiences a captivating blend of original and commissioned pieces, classical works, and even pop tunes. They’ve got a large and growing catalog of recordings, including their 2019 release Enchanted Isle, and maintains a touring and performing schedule that puts them before audiences in the most prestigious halls in the world.

As part of their visit to Brigham Young University as guests of the BRAVO! series, members of the group stopped by the Highway 89 studio to share conversation and album cuts with us. 

Learn more about them here: http://www.voces8.com/ 

Songs featured on the show: May it Be, Song for Athena, The Parting Glass, Hymn to the Fallen, O Magnum Mysterium, Stars, The Luckiest

Touring music of the masters as well as exciting original works from visionary composers of our time, the Fry Street Quartet has perfected what The Strad calls a "blend of technical precision and scorching spontaneity." The quartet has reached audiences from Carnegie Hall to London, and from Sarajevo to Jerusalem, exploring the medium of the string quartet and its life-affirming potential with what the Deseret News calls "profound understanding...depth of expression, and stunning technical astuteness."

 

The Quartet is joined on this episode by a couple of very special guests: acclaimed violist Roger Chase, who once said “I was very bad at being told how to play – I wanted to find out for myself” – a philosophy that has put him in good stead on stages and in classrooms all over the world as a truly inspiring performer and teacher.

 

Also with us the group is pianist Michiko Otaki, having traveled from Clayton University near Atlanta, which is merely home base for a career that has seen extensive travels throughout the US, Europe, and other places.

 

They’ve all come together to make music for a series of concerts here in Utah, and we’re thrilled that they could join us here on Highway 89.

The Crossroads Project: Rising Tideroger chase

Touring music of the masters as well as exciting original works from visionary composers of our time, the Fry Street Quartet has perfected what The Strad calls a "blend of technical precision and scorching spontaneity." The quartet has reached audiences from Carnegie Hall to London, and from Sarajevo to Jerusalem, exploring the medium of the string quartet and its life-affirming potential with what the Deseret News calls "profound understanding...depth of expression, and stunning technical astuteness."

The Quartet is joined on this episode by a couple of very special guests: acclaimed violist Roger Chase, who once said “I was very bad at being told how to play – I wanted to find out for myself” – a philosophy that has put him in good stead on stages and in classrooms all over the world as a truly inspiring performer and teacher.

Also with us the group is pianist Michiko Otaki, having traveled from Clayton University near Atlanta, which is merely home base for a career that has seen extensive travels throughout the US, Europe, and other places.

They’ve all come together to make music for a series of concerts here in Utah, and we’re thrilled that they could join us here on Highway 89.

The NEXT Ensemble performs live at Kaffe Mercantile. Their mission is to bring concert music to small coffee-shop venues like this one.

Songs featured: Suite No. 1 for Solo Cello in G Major, Prelude; Sonata No. 1 for Solo violin in G Minor, Adagio; Five; B.B. Wolf; PBD19; You Are Not Machines

Learn more about them here: http://nextensemble.org/web/home.aspx

Watch selections from this episode on YouTube:

When the talented musicians of Brigham Young University’s Mountain Strings play their instruments, the air comes alive with sounds of good, old-fashioned fun. With energetic performances featuring American and international folk music, Mountain Strings plays their way into the hearts of audiences around the world. Mountain Strings performs live in Studio 6 at BYU Radio.

Learn more about them here: https://pam.byu.edu/group/mountain-strings/

When the talented musicians of Brigham Young University’s Mountain Strings play their instruments, the air comes alive with sounds of good, old-fashioned fun. With energetic performances featuring American and international folk music, Mountain Strings plays their way into the hearts of audiences around the world. Mountain Strings performs live in Studio 6 at BYU Radio.

Learn more about them here: https://pam.byu.edu/group/mountain-strings/

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In 1998, a string quartet burst onto the New York City music scene, bringing with it the riches of conservatory scholarship and study, and also embracing the intensity of rock, the grooves of jazz and hip hop, the eclecticism of world-beat bands, and more.

We’re talking about ETHEL, the group that now includes cellist Dorothy Lawson, violist Ralph Farris, and violinists Corin Lee and Kip Jones. And in the decades since its beginnings, the group has fostered a dedication to collaboration and innovation that has seen it share stages and recordings with artists like David Byrne, Kurt Elling, Jake Shimabukura, Thomas Dolby and many more.

The group also elevates the musical world around it through a passion for performing new work by exciting contemporary composers. ETHEL has premiered nearly 200 new works in addition to its own compositions.

Now, decades after its beginnings, the group has taken its place as a trailblazing force in redefining contemporary concert music. In words from its mission statement:

ETHEL Loves adventure. ETHEL Tells stories. ETHEL Builds Community. ETHEL Connects souls. ETHEL Never stops reinventing itself. ETHEL Rocks

You’ll see today just how the group has wrung adjectives like “indefatigable and eclectic,” “vital and brilliant,” and “Infectiously visceral” from news sources no less venerable than The New Yorker and The New York Times.

Today's episode features the members of ETHEL, in an hour of great music and conversation. 

Learn more about them here: https://ethelcentral.org/

In 1998, a string quartet burst onto the New York City music scene, bringing with it the riches of conservatory scholarship and study, and also embracing the intensity of rock, the grooves of jazz and hip hop, the eclecticism of world-beat bands, and more.

We’re talking about ETHEL, the group that now includes cellist Dorothy Lawson, violist Ralph Farris, and violinists Corin Lee and Kip Jones. And in the decades since its beginnings, the group has fostered a dedication to collaboration and innovation that has seen it share stages and recordings with artists like David Byrne, Kurt Elling, Jake Shimabukura, Thomas Dolby and many more.

The group also elevates the musical world around it through a passion for performing new work by exciting contemporary composers. ETHEL has premiered nearly 200 new works in addition to its own compositions.

Now, decades after its beginnings, the group has taken its place as a trailblazing force in redefining contemporary concert music. In words from its mission statement:

ETHEL Loves adventure. ETHEL Tells stories. ETHEL Builds Community. ETHEL Connects souls. ETHEL Never stops reinventing itself. ETHEL Rocks

You’ll see today just how the group has wrung adjectives like “indefatigable and eclectic,” “vital and brilliant,” and “Infectiously visceral” from news sources no less venerable than The New Yorker and The New York Times.

Today's episode features the members of ETHEL, in an hour of great music and conversation. 

Learn more about them here: https://ethelcentral.org/

Cherie Headshot 1

Vocalist Cherie Call is accompanied by pianist Brett Raymond share some of their holiday favorites on this Christmas-time Highway 89. 

Learn more about them here: https://cheriecall.com/; https://brettraymond.com/home/(Vocalist Cherie Call is accompanied by pianist Brett Raymond share some of their holiday favorites on this Christmas-time Highway 89. Learn more about them here: https:/cheriecall.com/; https:/brettraymond.com/home Watch selections from this episode on YouTube:)  

Watch selections from this episode on YouTube:

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World-renowned pianist Jim Brickman joins Highway 89 at the beginning of his Joyful Christmas tour. 

Songs featured: Celebration; Thanksgiving; The Gift; Christmas Medley; That Silent Night; Simple Things; Rocket to the Moon; Timeless; Fly; If You Believe

Learn more about him here: https://www.jimbrickman.com/